Saint86

Starmer would have you know that tax evasion should be considered as fraud and punishable as such (unless ofc its Rayner, in which case its fine as she holds his labour party leadership balls in a vice). Edit - the legal/conveyancing firm have now come out denied entirely that they gave her (or any other clients) tax or trust advice, have accused her of trying to scapegoat them, and have therefore now added a pretty serious accusation of lying at Rayner. Wonder if they'll also pursue her for reputational damages.

Robinson has the potential to be a good prem player for saints imo, someone of the JWP/Schneiderlin style level. Dibling has Bale level potential (i.e., to become one of the best players in the league/europe etc) - although i'm doubtful as to whether he can realise that potential as there does seem to be something else going on with him from a mentality perspective. Eitherway, both are great talents and success stories for the academy.

Quite something to have the rangers sporting director come out and speak on behalf of the manager over what Martin will be doing to get Raskin back on side 😬

I'd be dropping Downes for Jander for the derby. Its no place for someone who is seemingly as fairweather as he is atm, similarly he is constantly getting needless bookings or giving away fouls all the time atm - don't know whats up with him, maybe its because his mate russel has left or because we blocked his move to Ipswich, but whatever it is his head doesn't seem fully focussed and putting him in CM for the skates would worry me a bit.

Yeah, plenty of good MPs in it for the right reason - that's true enough. But Rayner is very clearly just another corrupt hypocritical pig with no integrity and her snout in the trough.

So wait, Rayners blatant tax avoidance is okay because she's not as bad as the Tories. They're just as slimy as the last lot 😆 I guess by the end of this, she'll at least know where she lives (even if its not her own constituency) and pay the right tax 🙄

She received financial advice to avoid paying tax.... The rules are the rules and she wants to get around them and dodge tax... be it having one primary residence to avoid paying double council tax, and one to avoid double stamp duty... Whether her financial adviser fucked up or not - she still went t them for advice to avoid tax. She has still consciously dicked about with her addresses to dodge tax. And she's now gone and got a primary residence thats not in her constituency (when it suits for tax purposes) to avoid paying tax whilst not knowing that she was doing that. Old saggy chops would be proud. Its utterly irrelevant whether the advice she then got is incorrect - she still actively sought financial advise to avoid paying taxes after zealously attacking better off people for avoiding taxes. She's also got a party leader / PM who is on record saying tax evasion is fraud, and should be prosecuted as such, and she's in a party that has campaigned to clamp down on tax avoidance whilst also hiking council taxes and supporting 100% increases on council tax for 2nd homes(which she's loop holed her way out of) etc.

Mate, she's either incompetent, or a hypocrite of no integrity who has committed tax avoidance. I very much doubt she sought financial advice without the intention to minimise tax in this instance - you'd just pay the default (dare we just say correct) tax otherwise.

Separate issue, but why did she need a court injunction for an amicable divorce from a husband and the setting up of shared trust? 🙄 End of the day, she's paid for legal advice to minimise stamp duty and council tax, changed her residences around to suit both stamp duty and council tax payments across her 3 properties, at best - her solicitors have fucked it all up, and she's got caught, and is now having to hold her hands up. Will be her dog's fault next... Lets ignore the fact that that would mean she is also ignorant about the implications of council tax, primary residences, and stamp duty, whilst at the same time publicly vowing to clamp down on tax avoidance and hike taxes on property and council tax.

Mate, she has actively tried to dodge a 40k tax bill and fiddled her primary residences to dodge both stamp duty taxes and increased council taxes. This from a government that is going after every form of tax they bloody can under a leader who has called tax evasion fraud. Now she's trying to go, "oops, I haven't paid the right tax, but whilst trying to actively avoid paying taxes I made a mistake and shouldn't have done that". It ain't gonna wash. If she somehow survives she'll be damaged, Starmer will be damaged, and labour will be damaged.

Rayner surely in trouble here... she's essentially admitted to deliberately avoiding 40k tax and the 2nd home council tax hike. Starmer / Labour have (rightly) banged the tax avoidance consistently over the years in opposition and government... which makes it all the more disappointing to see one of their key figures mired in one of the worst examples of it that i can recall from a minister. It is an utterly appalling lack of integrity and hypocrisy from Rayner given the various tax hikes and general policies of the government to date. I see Clive Lewis has been trying to defend/excuse her over lunch today, acting like this was a minor misdemeanour and an error on her part... i'm sorry, but i think its just straight up inexcusable - reeks of one rule for the elites (tax is optional unless caught out) and one rule for the rest of us, and its mental how detached some of them seem to be from the rest of the country where people are really starting to struggle now from general costs hikes over the years and economic stagnation. Rayner/Starmer/Lewis can't just get a pass because they aren't Tories. Some choice quotes on it... Starmer as PM in the 2024 Labour party conference - "we will go after tax avoiders" and "introduce a new fraud, error, and debt bill" (to help recover fraud and tax evasion). Guardian Starmer interview in the guardian - "tax evasion involving dishonest fraud is not a sort of fraud, it is fraud. It is criminal and it should be treated as all other fraud is treated". Labours' 2024 policy document, "plan to close the tax gap", states "labour will relentlessly pursue the money that is owed", and "directly tackle tax avoidance and evasion" - guessing Rayner somehow avoided inputting or reviewing that document 😄 Starmer speech 2024 - One of the ways his labour government would reduce NHS waiting times is "by cracking down on tax avoidance and non-doms"... just not his deputy PM i guess.

As our dear deputy prime minister is ofc counting on to keep her job 😄

Close control, improvisation, carrying the ball, direct running.... Its like a whole bloody reunion of lost friends.

Demolition of the Skates incoming? 👀

I was going to post something something something "never seen this much excitement over a winger's youtube highlgihts since de ridder" something something. Then i watched that clip. The long range attempt is ridiculous, and his goals are also both quite tasty.

Reminds me of Koeman's first window - came in after the squad was ripped apart with loads of players leaving and having to make a load of new signings - most of which were quality for where we were at and created the foundations for the best saints side in the past 30-40years.

I would give it an 8/10.

Agreed. I think we still have a good chance given premier league football as a carrot. It could also be noise to secure him a better contract offer etc. from saints ofc.

How many of them were young super rich athletes 😆 Edit...

It's Paris Vs Southampton end of the day... 🫣 And Paris FC have got flashy ambitious owners (main shareholder is worth $150-200B, red bull also involved) and an exciting project. I don't think it's clear cut at all that we'll get him now.

Sounds like we're looking at something like this for the season: I personally prefer having Jander/Downs as a more deep lying creative playmaker in a midfield 3, with Azaz pushing up to support the attackers (he was popping up everywhere vs Watford, finding the pockets and linking the play in the final 3). This approach would give us plenty of options, with movement from the attacking 4 players, and a 2man midfield that is very capable of anchoring the side and recycling play (all 3 of Jander/Downes/Charles are very good for this). I also wouldn't be too attacking with the full backs / wing backs - we are wide open time after time with them doing that - and frankly we need to be tighter - quite happy with them supporting the wingers from behind, but don't need to see them playing in the oppo half regularly or doing mental overlaps that leave us wide open to cross field diagonals and counter attacks. Archer/AA offer mobile pacey strikers who can finish and get on the end of moves, and Downes/Stewart offer us a more physical mobile presence. All in all, the squad seems more balanced now and I am pleased with the amount of players we've shifted. But i do also think there is still too much scar tissue and hesitation from the Martin era - and it is notable that its the likes of Stephens/Manning/THB (could still not be match fit i guess) that are the ones making basic errors and letting the opposition in time after time. Too much to hope for that we sell one of them and get a top quality CB in? I accept we won't have a better keeper than Baz or Macca this year.

Schoolboyed on depth today imo. Downes could have been injured in the match and the same situation would have unfolded.

Was obvious Ipswich were going to keep playing until they scored... kept checking it, 9+8, 9+ 13, oh look, a penalty goal at 9+16 🙄

Haven't shifted enough of the Martin players - THB, Manning, Stephens are all weak weak links in this side. We leak chances.

Boro have beaten Norwich, Millwall, and sheffield united.... we've lost to stoke and thrown a game vs watford. Not a great start.